Bronco Battalion takes on Michigan, MSU, others
Oct. 11, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- Cadets from the Western Michigan University Bronco Battalion will face off against fellow ROTC students from around the Great Lakes region in the U.S. Army's Cadet Command 2000 Ranger Challenge Oct. 13 through 15 at Fort Custer in Battle Creek.
Two nine-member WMU teams will compete against ROTC cadets from other universities in events such as a 10K road march, a one-rope bridge crossing, M-16 marksmanship, a hand grenade competition and land navigation.
"We consider the Ranger Challenge to be our varsity sport," says Maj. Tim Russell, scholarship and enrollment officer for WMU's ROTC program. "All of these events are part of our cadets' day-to-day training, and it's an exciting challenge to test ourselves against the students at other schools. I can't make any hard predictions, but let's just say we plan to make it awfully tough for anyone else to walk away with the title."
In addition to WMU, competing universities include: the University of Michigan; Michigan State University; Central Michigan University; Eastern Michigan University; the University of Notre Dame; Purdue University; Indiana University; Ball State University; Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis; and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Part of the Haworth College of Business, WMU's Military Science Program is an elective academic minor through which students can qualify for the Reserve Officers Training Corps. The program stresses leadership and military skills training that prepares students for commissions as second lieutenants in the active Army, Army Reserves or Army National Guard after they complete their baccalaureate degrees. ROTC programs train 70 percent of the officers in today's Army.
Media contact: Jessica English, 616 387-8400, jessica.english@wmich.edu